Despite this, hearing aids have long had the reputation of being ugly, bulky and rather uncomfortable to wear.

Perhaps that’s why of the six million people in the UK who could benefit from hearing aids only two million have them and, of this group, only 30% use them regularly – despite the fact hearing loss has been attributed to fatigue, sleep deprivation, depression and even dementia.

No matter how much you may need to wear one, the stigma around hearing aids and their appearance puts people off.

One in three Brits over 50 say they would feel embarrassed to be seen wearing a hearing aid, despite the fact that half admitted they are worried about their hearing. And 30% of Brits over 50 think that a hearing aid would put off a potential partner.

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If the over-50s are thinking that, the perceived stigma among people under 50 is likely greater.

When comedian, actress and presenter Samantha Baines found out at the age of 30 that she needed to wear a hearing aid, she put off wearing it for as long as she could.

But she admits that her view of hearing aids was behind the times: ‘I think a lot of people don’t want to wear hearing aids because they have an outdated view of them,’ she says.

‘Hearing aids aren’t huge things that whistle and are only worn by people who carry Werther’s Originals in their pockets. Although I do love a boiled sweet. Nowadays hearings aids are tiny and can be colourful and you can answer your phone or listen to podcasts on them and connect them to your TV.’

Samantha Baines living her best life on stage with the rest of the Magic Mike Live cast

‘While I can’t post to Instagram via my hearing aid (which is a real shame), it has made my life so much better,’ she says. ‘It’s not until you have help hearing that you realise how much of your energy you were using up lip-reading and straining to hear. It also really helps with my tinnitus. For me, putting on my hearing aid is like getting into a warm bath.

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‘My hearing aid is tiny and red and goes inside my ear and I call her L’Oreal because she helps with volume,’ explains Baines.

The stigma felt by Samantha Baines and so many others may soon become a thing of the past as more companies recognise the need for hearing aids that look like something people actually want to wear.

Take the Styletto Connect, recently launched by Signia. The hearing aid is not only one of the most attractive available, it also has some neat functions, including Bluetooth connectivity for streaming music, TV and calls, a remote control option via its own app, and, much like Apple’s AirPods, a pocket-sized portable charging case that gives five hours’ use from a 30-minute charge.

The sleek Styletto Connect charging case adds five hours of use in just 30 minutes

A fully-charged charging case allows up to four days of use without the annoyance of constantly having to find your cable and scavenge the nearest socket.

Now that’s progress.

As Duncan Collet-Fenson, Audiologist and MD of Aston Hearing explains, the technology is very advanced: ‘Hearing aids are no longer big and obvious bits of plastic that clasp over your ears; many of them are barely visible.

‘Some even allow you to text, translate languages, monitor your activity and even measure your blood pressure. With this boost in technology we can only hope it won’t be long before attitudes start to change towards hearing issues.’

Signia isn’t the only one changing the hearing-loss game. Starkey Hearing Technologies recently launched its Livio AI. A hearing aid that translates 27 languages in real-time, detects falls (great for the elderly, but a hazard if you’re on a night out), tracks vital signs like a Fitbit, streams calls and music, as well as connecting to Alexa and Google home devices.

The Livio AI can translate 27 languages in real-time

Can’t be doing with appointments to get your hearing aid retuned? No worries. GN Hearing launched their ReSound LiNX Quattro at the end of last year which connects hearing aid users with their hearing care professionals via the ReSound Smart 3D app.

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The only drawback of these attractive hearing aids is the bougie price tag – the Connect, Livio, and LiNX Quattro all start around the not-so-attractive price of £3,000. And none of them are available on the NHS.

Here’s hoping that as more manufacturers get in on the attractive hearing aid game, prices will start to drop.

In the meantime, it’s time to save up.

The Signia Styletto Connect is available Specsavers. The Starkey Livio AI and GN ReSound LiNX Quattro is available from independent audiologists.